Acharya Vinoba Bhave, generally called Vinobaji succeeded Gandhi to the leadership of his constructive work movement, primarily aimed at building a new India of Gandhi’s dream. He shot into fame as the father of the Bhoodan Movement and was also his spiritual heir. There is, however, no such declaration of Gandhi in its favor as it was in the case of Jawaharlal Nehru whom he named as his political hair. The reason is obvious. Gandhi wanted to leave no sect after him and hence the question of a declared spiritual heir did not arise at all. But there is enough indirect evidence in its support.
Gandhi evaluated Vinoba’s spiritual attainments very high, attached highest value to his views, and, according to Shriman Narayan even looked upon him as his superior in certain aspects. That is why during his own life-time Vinoba was treated as such by those who were near to him and knew him. Gandhi’s nomination of him as the first satyagrahi in the Individual Satyagraha of 1940 only set a seal on it.
Kaka Kalelkar, who was ten years senior to Vinoba in age and knew him as a student, considered him senior-most amongst the Gandhians, and K G Mashruwala who succeeded Gandhi as the editor of his Harijan Weeklies after his death and was a reputed interpreter of his thought, felt that Vinoba had understood Gandhi Best.